I tried Avide Free DV. Had exactly the same experience as original poster. This sucks.

just works different from Vegas.If you are an experienced vegas user and not familiar with other edit system work flow ,its very difficult to just sit down and understand Avid.
apples and oranges.

Do not be confused... you guys are not using the 'Industry Standard' when you're using AVID FREE DV.

Take a look at the different AVID avenues. This is why AVID is the 'Industry Standard'. You can start a project on AVID FREE and finish it on one of their Beafier AVID boxes. AVID gives you AVID FREE so you can familiarize yourself with the AVID look and UI. All of their products basically put all controls and the way you apply effects and work - the same. So if you learn AVID FREE you can theoretically use a Composer, Adrenaline, or Symphony. But remember, these systems can go for as much as $100,000 plus. Believe me, there is a difference that warrants the difference in price from VEGAS.

The AVID workflow is very different. I am not a fan of AVID either. I use AVID Xpress Pro (without the MOJO) just so I can stay familiar with the interface, but when I step into a studio that we work closely with that has an AVID Adrenaline system... there's a world of difference.

There are many options when purchasing an AVID workstation but the one's you guys speak of are NOT considered 'Industry Standard'. You must remember also that AVID is a company same as SONY. XPress Pro, Adrenaline, Symphony, Composer are AVID's NLE's same as VEGAS is SONY's NLE. Actually if you look on the AVID site you'll see that the Adrenaline, Nitris, & Mojo are definitely needed to see the true power of an AVID system and understand why it's the 'Industry Standard'. These are called DNA's - Digital Nonlinear Accelerators. Which by the way, any AVID dealer will bring you in and let you play with a 'real' AVID system. The AVID rep let us keep an AVID system in our office for a Month in the hopes that we would see it's benefits and purchase. - We stuck with VEGAS.

Don't get me wrong though... I'm not an AVID fan and I do prefer VEGAS. I Just wish SONY would/could step it up to AVID's level (minus the AVID confusion and weird workflow.) I hear tell that FCP also has some weird workflow issues. Having said all of this, I must also state that I have heard Rave Reviews about AVID & FCP. --> But I still prefer VEGAS!

So, my question is for someone who may aspire to work in studios at some point or maybe even on their own indie films, is Avid something that they should learn? I understand the differences between Free and Xpress Pro, etc... but its getting quite confusing on which someone should start focussing on learning (Avid vs FCP).

I would love to see Vegas replace both as I am more familiar with it, but if I hope to catch some editing work in the future, it would be nice to know what to learn to study.

Avid, honestly, just looks overwhelming. Not just from the program, but my god, they offer like hundreds of different products and seriously, how do they expect people to get experience on the high end systems without plopping out $100k?

When you say the differences warrants the price difference from Vegas, could you elaborate (i.e. better quality, better integration, etc)?

Thanks. Just very curious.

Patrick

Avid and FCP have become the standards for professional post production houses. If you can learn both, then you have a better chance of getting a career.

Dave T2

Sony has XPRI--do you have the money?

They dont expect people to get experience on those machines unless you pay thousands to go to school. (if they even have Avid. lol) Avid is a nice tool, but I started on Vegas as well and just never got used to the workflow of it. One good way to get good experience on an AVID, and for free, is to try to intern with one of the big post houses around, and just take everything in like sponge. Unfortunately you wont get paid (most likely) and it may take alot to learn, but if you want a job in that area, this is a good option.

By the way,, doesnt seem to be a shortage of decent avid editors. Least in the locatons I'm familiar with.You can certainly become very familiar with the workflow by using express dv or dv express whatever its called.
Around a thousand bucks or so.

Not that I've even seen an XPRI system in the flesh BUT you can transfer a project from Vegas into XPRI (and XPRI leaves Avid for dead in HiDef) using XML and it DOES conform. Now I have no experience with this BUT when I mention that you can sort of go from Vegas to Avid using 3rd party tools to Avid users they don't see that as an issue cause it usually doesn't work right going from Avid to Avid.
So before anyone tries to tell you Vegas isn't up there with the big guys like Avid the truth may well be that it's Avid that need to do some catching up. XPRI is the new kid on the block but some very serious production houses have invested many millions in it and they are rapt with it.
Oprah's production company switched to XPRI some time ago if you need a reference site. XPRI isn't cheap, but it isn't necessarily millions either.

Bob.

If you want to get an editing job in the industry, knowing and being familair with both Avid and Final Cut Pro are crutial. There are plenty of great NLE's out there however industry standard is just that, probably 85% if not more of the high end editing bays out there are Avids. FCP is getting a great following but still knowing Avid will get you further if you want to pursue this as a career and work for a production company or edit house.

I don't know much about Xpri but am pretty impressed with what I've seen so far. Not sure what it's place in the workforce is, but it's getting more and more publicity.

I'm teaching a film class at a local charter school and our class edit bays will all be Vegas due to ease of use to learn and stability. Editing essentials can be taught on just about any NLE, however we're including a Mac workstation that includes Avid Xpress Pro and Final Cut Pro for those kids who really want to be editors. It's necessary for them to be trained on the products they'd be using in most of the edit houses out there. We will be adding an Avid DS HD suite, Final Cut Pro HD suite and ProTools suite down the line as funding comes in so that these kids are working on like systems to those here in this market and many others around the country. Renting them also becomes a source of revenue for the school.

Industry standard doesn't mean it's always the best tool for every job. It means that more people use it than any other. Training on industry standard products definately helps if you're headed in that direction.

Mike

Well heres my question I am eligible to obtain an academic version of Avid Xpress Pro 4.5 for $295. Do you think it is a wise investment to get this in the next couple weeks and begin to familiarize myself with it and begin to learn it?

As I said before, I think the thing that is so overwhelming is that Avid has tons of products and each and every product seems to have a steep learning curve.

The thing with FCP means having to purchase a new system with a differ OS and having to learn everything ll over again. Not to mention the enormous costs involved.

It just seems that this hobby gets more and more expensive. Is there a lot of low cost training availble for Avid/FCP?

If you want to become a "work for hire" editor, having a familiarity with Avid is a must. Can you be a great editor on other systems? Absolutely but you'll get more work if you know Avid and/or Final Cut Pro. For $295 it's worth the cost. Thats what we're paying to allow students to just get familiar with the interface and how Avid thinks, then be able to step up from there. Final Cut is a good system and I love the Mac platform but Avid experience will get you into more doors.

As for training. Lots out there for Xpress Pro..

Mike